Mill talks underway here

Negotiations are underway here between the two striking Communications, Energy, and Papermakers locals and Abitibi-Consolidated Corp. after the two sides agreed to a modified bargaining process.
That process will see local issues and contract language negotiated at each mill, with the key monetary issues–such as wages, term, and pension–to be negotiated at the main table starting Oct. 6 in Montreal.
And that means the two sides could have a negotiated agreement by mid-October.
“That is assuming that everything goes according to plan,” Susan Rogers, Abitibi’s vice-president of corporate communications, said yesterday from Montreal.
Rogers added there would be some mills–and she wouldn’t say which ones–where the two sides were further apart. “Many mills actually started up [negotiations] this afternoon,” she noted.
That includes the Fort Frances mill, where talks continue again today.
“I’m just glad we’re back to negotiating,” mill manager Jim Gartshore said Monday.
After its membership voted on the issue, the CEP announced Monday it would accept the bargaining process recommended by three provincial conciliators and a federal one during talks last Wednesday and Thursday in Montreal.
The company had agreed to the process last Thursday.
Rogers noted the conciliators, union, and company all agreed not to reveal details of the process.
“Definitely, this is a compromise between the two sides. Each side has given a little here,” Rogers said. “Essentially, [the conciliators] were the catalyst in bringing the two sides together.”
Abitibi had wanted to negotiate everything mill-by-mill while the union had wanted it all done at the main table.
Meanwhile, Rogers noted the conciliators would continue “keeping things on track,” explaining they would be in Montreal on Oct. 6 to find out how local negotiations went.
But she didn’t know if the main table negotiations would start if each mill didn’t have the local issues negotiated.
As for the non-striking unions, Rogers noted those negotiations have been ongoing at each mill.
Cecil Makowski, CEP administrative vice-president for Ontario, could not be reached for comment.